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Toyota Racing NCWTS Phoenix Quotes — Ben Rhodes — 11.3.22

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Official Release
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Toyota Racing – Ben Rhodes
NASCAR Truck Series Quotes

PHOENIX, Ariz. (November 3, 2022) – ThorSport Racing driver Ben Rhodes was made available to media at Championship 4 Media Day on Thursday in Phoenix:

BEN RHODES, No. 99 Kubota Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, ThorSport Racing

How are you able to reset for this championship run after having a rocky season to get to this point?

“I believe this is a quote from Senna and I’m going to paraphrase a little bit, but the road to greatness is always rough. So it doesn’t bother me at all and I’m happy to be back in the Championship 4 and the fact that ThorSport Racing is in there with two trucks. Pretty good with 50% chance of winning to bring it back to the team. I want the 100% chance of Ben Rhodes. I’m not going to lose sleep though if my teammate wins it and I feel like just getting it back to ThorSport is going to be good. Just happy to be here honestly.”

What are your chances to win the championship tomorrow night?

“I think pretty good honestly. I’ve told people that I think Ty (Majeski) is the favorite, but I don’t count myself out at all. Our team just performs when it needs to and we’ve done that. I mean, getting here is not a small feat. There’s a lot of really good trucks that are not here today and I think that speaks to the competition of the Truck Series nowadays. It’s pretty tough, really tough actually. I would say just as tough as last year, maybe tougher. I think that getting here is a challenge and it’s almost a victory in and of itself. But now that you’re in it, it would be a total defeat not to win the championship. Getting here is one thing, but then not capitalizing on the opportunity would just suck. We’re going to do everything we can tomorrow. I’m not going to say, checkers or wreckers, but we’re going to go out and make sure we get the victory. If we don’t, it doesn’t mean the year has been a failure, but it would feel that way to me personally in some ways.”

Are you surprised as the defending champion that you’re the longshot for this title?

“I don’t care. Honestly, I think we were the longshot last year too. I guess that’s just what we do. Everybody has me being the longshot. I don’t know, I guess some of that might come from stats and I’m sure it does. I don’t care. I think we’re going to rise to the occasion just like we did last year and just like we did to get ourselves in this position. I was telling somebody earlier today that it feels like every season we’re in the Playoffs, I can think of only one season when we were able to coast through to the next round. But for the most part, it’s just fighting tooth and nail just to get ourselves into that spot to transfer. It’s like, here’s the tiebreaker, here’s one point, here’s four points and it’s not easy to do that. It’s very easy to make mistakes in high pressure situations like that so I think the fact that we’ve already had to be forged in fire has given us a little bit of an advantage so kind of like we’ve been here, done that. I’m not going to say that one year is the same as the next because it’s definitely not. You’ve got Ty (Majeski) who’s won two of the last three races and Chandler (Smith) won this race last year. I don’t know that you have to win the race, but you’re going to have to run up front. Maybe these other guys will make mistakes, but I’m counting on them not to.”

After winning the championship last year, does it make you that much hungrier to win it again this year?

“So I believe there is a cup called the Pythagoras cup, but it’s a cup from ancient times that when you would fill it up and the cup gets full, it would drain itself back out. That’s kind of what the championship felt like last year. We won it, I’ve never experienced such emotion and raw happiness in racing before. It felt like it was so long to get to this point and now I feel like I can’t live without out. And now my cup is empty again. I’ve got to fill it and it’s kind of like an addiction and I’ve got to make it happen. Once you get it, again you can’t live without it. Six years in the making to get to that championship and to go back to back would be really special. I can’t believe that my teammate, Matt Crafton, was the only one to do that. It would be nice to join him. He’s probably getting lonely.”

What is the biggest hurdle you will have to overcome to win this championship?

“Here’s the thing, I know all these guys are going to have crazy, raw speed off the hauler. We have to do that too. That’s like the first step. If we can hit that first step and not stumble, just raw speed right off the truck then we’re on our way. I really believe that, but if you don’t have the raw speed off the hauler, trying to change a package in 50 minutes worth of practice and pulling from your teammates makes it very interesting day for sure. We done that before and you can have success doing that, but it makes your odds very slim. So speed off the hauler, it sounds simple, but it’s a game changer and all these guys are going to have it so we have to have it too.”

How much do you know about the setup in Ty Majeski’s truck?

“A fair amount. At ThorSport Racing, we share everything and we do simulator together. I will say that they have worked on their own package and they’re very specialized in their own package this year. Our other teammates are not running what they have. I’ll say that each crew chief and each team really focus on what their strengths are. They’ve got a really good package and they worked on sim for a long time and they’re the best team at working on the sim and they spend the most time on it so naturally that suits them. We’re kind of on our own program, but if we don’t have the speed that we want off the hauler then we can abort mission and change to something our teammates are running. There’s a big effort there from ThorSport to make sure that we’re all running something different so we find the one thing that’s best and we’ll make that happen.”

What is your team’s strong suit?

“My strong point, I think our strong point is saving tires actually. Last year that was what came in clutch for us at the end of that race. That long green flag run, everybody else wore it out and we were able to catch back up to them and pass them. If a yellow flag would have come out, I don’t know if we had the short run speed to pull it off. We are trying to keep that strong point intact of long run speed, but fire off better. There’s some stuff we’re doing underneath the truck, suspension-wise, to try to make that happen. Not changing the package up completely, we’re similar to last year, but I think we found some improvements over the season to make that happen.”

Is having a championship already an advantage to you over the other three drivers?

“Not necessarily on the track an advantage, on the track it’s just raw speed from the race truck itself. No advantage there. Maybe there’s a mental advantage with the fact that we’ve been here, done that. Will we make mistakes? I sure hope not. We strive every race not to do that. We know the pressure, we’re performed in the pressure before so I hope the pressure catches the other guys off guard. We can just settle in and do what we do.”

How is your approach different this season?

“I think our approach this year is actually we’re bringing a very similar package from last year, but we made a lot of changes to it and we think or we know should be better. Then from that point forward, we go into practice, and we feel it out and if it’s not right, we can abort mission and rely on our teammates. We have that privilege; we have four awesome guys that are out there trying different things and we can rely on them to elevate our program if it’s not right. For the most part, the program worked out well last year so we’re going to rely on the same.”

Where would you assess where your team is currently from a performance perspective?

“Upward trajectory. It was here and then it went to here and now it’s going back up. Talladega we got a ton of points, we did everything we needed to do. Brand new truck for that track. Homestead, we went back to a similar setup that we had for Vegas, which I told my crew chief that it was one of the best trucks I’d had at Vegas before my teammate Ty was jealous and wrecked me – kidding, just joking. Duke (Thorson, team owner) told me the other day that my teammate didn’t appreciate my speed. We make fun of everything and we joke around a lot on our program. But that was a really good race for us and we pulled a lot from that. We added that back to the program for Homestead and it worked out well for us. Led a bunch of laps at the start of the race and wasn’t ideal, wasn’t the best, but we’re on an upward trajectory and that’s what matters. Phoenix went really well for us last year and we had good speed. The resin that they’re not putting down could be an advantage for us, but I don’t know until practice starts. We’ll have to see.”

Who is your biggest competition for the championship?

“The 18 (Chandler Smith) is going to be tough as long as they don’t overcomplicate things and they pull from their playbook last year, they should be fairly consistent to what they were last year and they were really, really fast. The 66 (Ty Majeski) is going to be really fast because this track is kind of in their wheelhouse. You can look at certain tracks that certain teams can hit their setups on right, this is a track that the 66 is in their wheelhouse, the 18 is in their wheelhouse. I’m not sure about the 38 (Zane Smith), I know we’re in a good spot and we’ll pulling from last year and made a lot of good adjustments. I think those two are the trucks I’m going to be watching for, but Zane Smith is an excellent driver and has experience here in this situation and I don’t think he’ll falter. He’ll rise to the situation.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 48,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 43 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With the more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, more than a quarter of the company’s 2021 North American sales were electrified.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

Hettinger has Big Dreams, Ready for Big Track

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Official Release
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15-Year-Old Racer from Michigan Will Compete in ARCA Menards Series West Season Finale Friday at Phoenix Raceway

Phoenix’s 1-Mile Oval is a New Test for Hettinger after Winning Late Model Races at Southeastern Short Tracks

DRYDEN, Mich. (Nov. 3, 2022) – At just 15 years old, Katie Hettinger’s racing resume is already filled with some trail-blazing accomplishments:

● Won the 2020 Champion Racing Association (CRA) Junior Late Model Series title to become the first and only female champion in the CRA’s 25-year history.

● In the span of two weeks in September 2021, Hettinger became the youngest female race winner at North Carolina’s Hickory Motor Speedway when she won the 50-lap Limited Late Model feature Sept. 4 as part of the Bobby Isaac Memorial event. She then became Hickory’s youngest female Late Model race winner on Sept. 18 when she won the track’s 75-lap feature, further burnishing Hickory’s moniker as the Birthplace of the NASCAR Stars.

● Hettinger has won four more Late Model races at Hickory in 2022 to become the winningest female racer in the track’s 72-year history.

With those accomplishments firmly in hand, despite a Michigan driver’s license remaining out of reach until the Dryden native turns 16, Hettinger is preparing for her next step on the racing ladder. This Friday at Phoenix Raceway, Hettinger will compete on the biggest track of her burgeoning career when she drives the No. 02 Chevrolet in the ARCA Menards Series West season finale.

“Phoenix is the biggest track I’ll have ever been on, so that’s going to be a challenge. It’s a lot more technical,” said Hettinger prior to the Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 100.

“I’ve done some simulator sessions to get ready for this race, and that will certainly help, just learning the proper lines to run and braking points and getting a general understanding of the layout. It’s no replacement for the real thing, but it’s still a big help, and it’s definitely going to make the learning curve a little less steep.”

Hettinger’s No. 02 Chevrolet is fielded by Young’s Motorsports with support from Wheeler Trucking, a leader in automotive transportation services, and bradCM Incorporated, a privately owned and operated general contracting firm.

“Anytime I get in a racecar, my goal is to win, but ARCA is a step up with strong teams and talented drivers, so the more realistic expectation is to finish Phoenix among the top-10,” Hettinger said.

Phoenix is a fast and flat, 1-mile oval that also hosts the championship finales for NASCAR’s top-three series – Cup, Xfinity and Camping World Truck.

“Every time I get into a new car, I just drive it like I normally would,” said Hettinger, who has made over a hundred starts in Late Model and Limited Late Model competition. “I don’t usually struggle with switching classes or cars or anything like that.”

Nonetheless, Hettinger is aware that ARCA represents a new style of racing, and she is already putting in the time to adapt to the 3,400-pound ARCA car.

“The main thing that I’ve found to be different with the ARCA car is you have to back up your entry into the corners. With the Late Model, you can drive it deep into the corner, which is what I like. With the ARCA car, you have to be a little more patient. You have to wait a little bit longer to get back to the gas.”

Hettinger is a third-generation racer who attended her first race at only four weeks old. Her grandfather, Jim Hettinger, raced open-wheel Midgets and Sprint Cars and won two Midget championships in 1984 and 1990, accolades that earned him a spot in the Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame. Her father, Chris Hettinger, was also a winning open-wheel racer, primarily in Midgets. It wasn’t long before Katie’s name began appearing on entry lists and at the top of race results.

By age five, she was racing Quarter Midgets. At first, it was only locally, but soon Hettinger was racing regionally and then nationally, collecting more than 40 wins.

At nine, she moved up to Junior Sprints and 600cc Micro Sprints, competing on dirt from 2016 through 2018. But pavement beckoned. An 11-year-old Hettinger transitioned to full-bodied stock cars in the CRA Junior Late Model Series and she proved to be a quick study.

After finishing fourth in the 2019 championship and earning the Sportsman of the Year award, Hettinger upped her game in 2020. She took two wins and earned three fast-time awards, one of which set a new track record at Anderson (Ind.) Speedway, and ended the season as the 2020 CRA Junior Late Model Series champion.

Since turning 14 in June 2021 and getting her NASCAR license, Hettinger scrapped the “Junior” tag from her Late Model. She regularly competes at the highest level of local stock car racing, commuting from Michigan to race in the southeastern hotbed of the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series, with the .363-mile Hickory oval being one of Hettinger’s more frequented tracks.

“I’m proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish at Hickory, but I didn’t go there to become the winningest female racer. I went there to win races, just like all the other guys there,” Hettinger said.

With four wins in her eight visits to Hickory this year, Hettinger has accomplished her goal. Making those triumphs even more impressive is that Hettinger has done it while juggling school. Three of her wins this year came while she was a freshman– April 30, May 7 and May 21. Her most recent victory on July 23 was the only one to come while she was out of school on summer break.

“I juggle everything I do with school and it can be hard sometimes, but I’m able to stay on top of it,” said Hettinger, an avid outdoorswoman who also enjoys hunting and fishing. “I still get mostly A’s and some B’s, and I’ve been able to manage it.”

Beyond the pit crew that helps her at the track, Hettinger has the full support of her family as she chases her NASCAR dream. This includes her 12-year-old sister Grace and 4-year-old brother Keith.

“My mom and dad are very supportive and understanding, and my sister is a competitive dancer and plays volleyball. My little brother loves racing and he always wants to go see Katie’s racecar. They’re all in this dream as much as I am.”

Lamborghini Palm Beach sends a 6-car multi-Team effort to Super Trofeo World Finals in Portugal

By
Official Release
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Photo credit: Jamey Price

Holds a 50-point lead on North American Dealer Championship

PALM BEACH, FL., (November 2nd, 2022) – Lamborghini Palm Beach leads the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North American Dealer Championship by 50-points ahead of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North American and Grand World Finals November 4-6 in Portimao, Portugal.

The 2021 Dealer Champions have begun the pursuit to claim another consecutive championship win after a triumphant 2022 season in the North American leg of the series. The ‘Dream Team’ fielded a total of 7 cars this season with Precision Performance Motorsports, Taurino Racing by D Motorsports, and MCR Racing.

Precision Performance Motorsports leads the Team Championship by 18 points. Season-long victory sweeps have led the PPM #46 driven by Bryson Lew and John Henry Capestro Dubets, to P1 for the Pro-Am championship, followed by #47 Precision Performance Trofeo driven by Bryan Ortiz and Sebastian Carazo in P2. Ortiz is the 2021 champion alongside PPM team Manager, Brandon Gdovic, who stepped out of the driver’s seat this season in hopes of leading the team to victory.

PPM co-drivers David Staab and Nikko Reger lead the AM championship in #48. PPM’s latest addition to the lineup, Anthony Mcintosh in the #49 finished P7 in the LB Cup Class. Claude Senhoreti piloting the #51 MCR Huracan Super Trofeo holds P10 in the AM class.
Lamborghini Palm Beach’s Pro Team, Taurino Racing by D Motorsports is P2 for the driver championship in the #88 driven by Giano Taurino and Loris Spinelli. Spinelli is competing in both the American and European legs of the series this weekend. The team proudly welcomed #23 PRO drivers Luke Berkley and Richard Antinucci to the lineup for rounds 9-10 of the season, and the Grand Finals. Berkley is the youngest-ever driver champion with a 2021 AM class North American Championship win.

For the 2022 Season, Taurino Racing by D Motorsports alongside Lamborghini Palm Beach has partnered with sponsor Luxury Lease Partners. Precision Performance alongside Lamborghini Palm Beach has proudly joined forces with team sponsors Ideal Nutrition and HCB Yachts.

“Many thanks to Mr. Chris Ward and the entire Squadra Corse Team, their support was pivotal in assisting Lamborghini Palm Beach to expand our teams to a dealer leading 6 entries this season with the 7th entry at VIR”. – Lamborghini Palm Beach

Lamborghini owners in South Florida are welcome to attend Lamborghini Palm Beach’s Brunch and Super Trofeo Livestream event held at the dealership on Saturday, November 5th, at 10:30 am. RSVP is required to attend. Please contact Lamborghini Palm Beach at (561)370-7953

Driver Line-Up

PRO

88 – Giano Taurino & Loris Spinelli- Taurino Racing by D Motorsports

23 – Luke Berkley & Richard Antinucci- Taurino Racing by D Motorsports

PRO-AM

46 – Bryson Lew & John Henry Capestro Dubets –PPM

47 – Bryan Ortiz & Sebastian Carazo – PPM

AM

48 – David Staab & Nikko Reger- PPM

51– Claude Senhoreti -MCR Racing

LB CUP

49-Anthony Mcintosh – PPM

Lamborghini Super Trofeo 2022 World Finals Official Schedule

North American Finals

Race 1- Friday, November 4th
11:00 AM GMT (7:00 AM EST)

Race 2- Friday, November 4th
15:50 PM GMT (11:50 AM EST)

World Finals

Race 1- Saturday, November 5th
Grand Finals AM & LB CUP– 14:45 PM GMT (10:45 AM EST)
Grand Finals PRO & Pro AM- 16:05 PM GMT (12:05 PM EST)

Race 2- Sunday, November 6th
Grand Finals AM & LB CUP– 12:00 PM GMT (8:00 AM EST)
Grand Finals PRO & Pro AM- 14:50 AM GMT (10:50 AM EST)

Toyota NCWTS Phoenix Quotes – Chandler Smith 11.03.22

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Official Release
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Toyota Racing – Chandler Smith
NASCAR Truck Series Quotes

PHOENIX, Ariz. (November 3, 2022) – Kyle Busch Motorsports driver Chandler Smith was made available to media at Championship 4 Media Day on Thursday in Phoenix:

CHANDLER SMITH, No. 18 Safelite AutoGlass Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, Kyle Busch Motorsports

Are you expecting help from your teammates this weekend?

“I mean it helps. It’s not easy racing your teammates for a championship. It’s never easy. I’ve never been in this position, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out – if you have to go wreck your best friend for a championship, is that going to be an easy conversation after? It definitely helps myself, but as an organization, we would want the 4 truck to make it, but he didn’t, and I feel for those guys. We were in that same role last year, but I know I could rely on him if I needed to.”

What will you take away most from your time at Kyle Busch Motorsports?

“Just the people here. I’ve made so many good memories with these people and learned so much. I’ve made so many good lifetime long friends in this organization. They have taught me so much. They are the ones that introduced me to the NASCAR world and helped me learn the ropes. I’ll forever be grateful for all of the opportunities that were available for me.”

What would it mean for you to win this final race for Kyle Busch Motorsports?

“It would be amazing. Trusting the process – a whole two years from being at the bottom and kind of stairsteps to the top a little bit and that was just by faith. If that is what the case is tomorrow, what a testimony. That’s what having faith in the Lord – that’s the outcome. That alone would mean more to me than winning the championship – being a testimony and an example.”

Any extra pressure to deliver a championship this weekend?

“No.”

What are your expectations for this weekend?

“Whatever the books are saying I guess are my chances. I don’t know. We are just going and treating it like every other race. It’s just another weekend where we have to go and perform.”

What are some of your favorite moments as a Kyle Busch Motorsports driver?

“All of the memories and the great people that I have met that have come and gone. I’ve learned so much from all of these great people at KBM (Kyle Busch Motorsports). They’ve taught me a lot about life lessons, racing lessons, whatever it may be. I think that is the biggest thing that will stick out to me.”

What do you think is the biggest hurdle for you to overcome this weekend?

“It’s just another race. I don’t see the pressure being added because I’m just treating this like any other weekend and there is a bigger prize to be had in victory lane if we were to get it.”

How do you decompress away from the Playoffs?

“At the end of the day, I was hired to go race cars for a living for them and that is what I do week-in and week-out.”

How do you balance being a new father with everything that you have going on right now?

“I focus more on being a good father and husband than I do everything else, and then everything else falls in line after that.”

How have you had to adjust to fatherhood?

“There is a little more work around the house. It’s just another individual that you have to tend to and that’s not bad at all. I’m just being honest with you – there is another person in the house now, that rely on you and all of that. There’s really not much adjusting. There is a lot that comes with – but it’s not like it was a really big swing and I wouldn’t recommend it.”

What would you say is a defining moment for you this season?
“I’ve got three wins. We probably should have five or six. Should’ve been our count, but circumstances did line up or whatever it may have been, but I feel just like the raw speed week-in and week-out. We have the consistency. I don’t know if I would say we are a championship caliber team – I don’t know what defines a championship caliber team. It is being mistake-less. We are human, we are going to make mistakes. I would just say that we have been consistent, and it has paid us dividends.”

Are you excited that the championship race is at Phoenix knowing your previous success here?

“Yes and no. As crazy as this sounds, but it is reality, these trucks – I can’t control what goes on other than I drive race cars. I drive them. I can’t control if bolt gets less loose leaving the race shop and we go into turn one at Phoenix and we stuff it in the fence. I can’t control that and that can dictate the rest of the weekend. I know we should have a fast truck, but I wouldn’t say it necessarily – if we get to Phoenix, we are going to win. Definitely not. There are way too many variables in making everything go full circle than just that.”

What are the emotions having your last race with Toyota?

“Bittersweet, because they have done so much for me. I’ve been a TRD driver for six plus years now. They have gotten me to where I am and have supported me in everything – my highs and lows, for sure. They have been really supportive, but I got the opportunity of a lifetime that I couldn’t turn down. They said we will support you in that and that gives me even more respect for them. At the end of the day, they are always going to be family regardless of if they are Toyota, Chevy and Ford. They are always going to be family to me all of those individuals.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 48,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 43 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With the more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, more than a quarter of the company’s 2021 North American sales were electrified.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

Ford Performance NASCAR: Zane Smith Championship 4 Media Day

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Official Release
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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Championship 4 Media Day | Thursday, November 3, 2022

Zane Smith, driver of the No. 38 Michael Roberts Construction Ford F-150 is looking to win his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship on Friday night at Phoenix Raceway. The championship would not only be his first, but the first for Front Row Motorsports. Here’s a transcript of today’s media session.

ZANE SMITH, No. 38 Michael Roberts Construction Ford F-150 – IT’S A DIFFERENT SITUATION, BUT DOES IT WEIGH ON YOU? “Yeah, definitely, in every kind of way. Like, it’s a lot of pressure every year, but I know my time in the Truck Series is running out in a way, so I really want to get this championship. I feel like I’ve accomplished a lot in the Truck Series, but I’m missing that one big thing. I really want the championship bad, more than anyone and especially how I’ve lost it the past couple of years has been scarring, but, like I said, hopefully the third time is the charm.”

HOW WILL YOU CELEBRATE? “You will find me at, I think there’s a bar outside the track. I will be there.”

WHAT IS YOUR PROTOCOL FOR GETTING READY TO THE RACE? “I’m really just trying to approach this as a normal race because at the end of the day it is. We’re just competing for a title. I have a lot of family that comes out to this one since this is as close to home as I get, so I’m excited to be back on the west coast, but possibly seeing some family tonight and then hopefully in bed and waking up charged up and ready to go chase a championship.”

IS THIS A CRITICAL CAREER MOVE FOR YOU? DOES A CHAMPIONSHIP MAKE OR BREAK YOU IN THE FUTURE? “No. I used to think it did and I feel like that did no good for me. I just myself want it really bad and I know everyone at FRM – all of the work and effort that they’ve put in, all of the man hours, they deserve it too. I’m so proud of them to get to the final four in general, especially in our first attempt together, but I do think we have a really good shot at winning this thing.”

DO YOU TAKE THE MINDSET OF WHATEVER HAPPENS ON FRIDAY HAPPENS AND IT’S STILL AN ACCOMPLISHMENT TO MAKE IT TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP 4? “Yeah, that’s how I’m trying to approach it. I feel like the past couple years it’s like, ‘Man, I really need to win this thing or else I don’t know what I’m gonna have as a job.’ So, now I feel like, I don’t want to say more prepared but I am in a way and it’s a big effort, not only for me but for my whole team this year. I really want to reward Bob Jenkins with a truck championship for taking a chance on me and giving me more security than I’ve ever had in my career, so we’re gonna give it our all Friday night.”

DOES THAT SECURITY TAKE SOME OF THE EDGE OFF THE GREEN FLAG? “For sure. I feel like we just do so much better as a group if we’re just enjoying every minute of it and I’ve been trying to say that to my team. It’s just that you never know when you’re last time you’re gonna get to this final round. It’s so hard to get here. You can have a perfect year and you don’t have a final good three races in that final round and it doesn’t matter, so, fortunately, we’ve had a great year. I think I only have three finishes outside the top 10, really no wrecked trucks or anything, a few wins and we know some areas that we need to be better in for next year, so that’s some exciting stuff for us. We’re excited about it. I think their approaching it the same way I am and hopefully we’re celebrating Friday night.”

HAVING GONE THROUGH THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS AND NOW HAVING ANOTHER CHANCE, HOW MUCH HAS THAT EXPERIENCE HELPED YOU? “It’ll definitely be very meaningful. I’ve stood in the parking lot at Phoenix Raceway for the past three years not knowing what I’m going to be doing the next year. Hopefully, I can be standing in the parking lot with the championship trophy. That will make everything a lot better, but the past couple years have definitely scarred, but it’s something I want really bad. I’m just really proud of everyone for getting here in the first place. It’s so hard to get here and regardless of the outcome Friday night, we know we’ll be chasing another championship next year and, like I said, I’m just proud of everyone for getting here.”

WHAT WAS YOUR CONFIDENCE LEVEL IN THIS TEAM AT THE START OF THE YEAR AND HOW DID THE SEASON MEET THAT? “I knew coming into the year that it was a really good group of guys and that’s why I had showed interest in it. I didn’t really care so much about the equipment or how pretty things were for the naked eye, but I really saw the work ethic in that whole team and that’s how I approach things. I have to believe in the people and hopefully they’ll believe in me and I feel like that’s been the case this year. Obviously, we started out really good winning Daytona and not having to worry about locking ourselves into the playoffs and that’s just been kind of an upper hand we’ve had.”

DOES IT HELP THAT FORD CAN POUR ALL OF ITS RESOURCES INTO YOU THIS WEEKEND? “Yeah, I’m glad to see they’re acting on that. The past couple weeks of, ‘Hey, this is our shot to win a truck championship.’ Ford is the number one truck, so I really want to get them a championship as well. That would be me versus three Toyotas and I won’t have a ton of help out there, but I don’t know if I’d really want it. Hopefully, we go knock them down.”

IS IT A WEIGHT OFF YOUR SHOULDERS KNOWING WHAT YOU’RE DOING AFTER THIS WEEKEND? “Huge. That’s a huge thing you hear and I think Jeff Burton typically talks a good bit about when a driver knows what they’re going to be doing next year they just race smarter and harder. You should never feel too comfortable with your job, but I feel like I’ve raced differently this year and I think if I was able to get a championship, I’ll race even smarter than I am now. I feel like that’s obviously a huge thank you to Bob Jenkins and all the partners at FRM. It’s been a huge effort his year and I’m glad we made it to the final four for them.”

HOW DO YOU KEEP THE MOMENTUM THROUGHOUT THE SEASON? “The frustrating thing about last year was we were so fast. It was just a lot of mistakes that were kind of out of my power, that would take a win away from us. The truck races are pretty short to where you can’t really have those mistakes, so this year we started out really strong, which is just great for a new team to click right away like that, but I feel like, I don’t know how many times I finished second this year, so I hope not to Friday night, but we’ve shown a lot of consistency this year and so I’m excited for it. I’m ready to get going.”

WHAT DO YOU USE FROM PAST CHAMPIONSHIP 4 EXPERIENCES? “Just experiencing the final four is a thing of its own. There’s so much that goes into it. There’s a lot to be proud of from a team standpoint when you make it here and that’s how we’re approaching it. We’re trying to enjoy every minute of it and hopefully be celebrating Friday night.”

HOW NEAT IS IT TO HAVE A TEAM LIKE FRONT ROW THAT WANTS TO DEVELOP A YOUNG DRIVER? “It’s pretty cool to see. It’s super cool to see a guy like Bob Jenkins, who is so into the truck series and he really enjoys just watching and being a part of it and now he’s winning and chasing a championship in it. I really want to reward him with this, but we have a lot of work to do between now and Friday night, so we’re just ready to get going.”

HOW BIG WOULD IT BE TO REPRESENT FORD WITH A CHAMPIONSHIP? “It would be very cool to take down the other three Toyotas and have the Blue Oval winning on Friday night.”

WHAT WILL BE THE GRAND TAKEAWAY FROM THIS SEASON? “Just the consistency that we’ve shown and clicking off the wins that we had right away is just super special with a new group and all of us learning about each other. I feel like that’s probably the biggest thing. Obviously, we always want more wins, but to be competing for a championship in our first year together is something to be proud of.”

DO YOU HAVE FAMILY AND FRIENDS COMING? “Yeah, I pretty much see my family a couple times a year and it’s either a holiday or the past couple of years I’ve seen them out here, so most of them come out and they get to see me compete in a really big race. I’m not sure they totally know how big of a deal it is, but they’ve definitely learned over the past couple of years of what’s on the line and it’s cool to see them and regardless of the outcome we always seem to celebrate right after.”

DO YOU FEEL ANY EXTRA PRESSURE THIS YEAR AFTER TWO RUNNER-UP FINISHES? “I’d say like mentally I’m probably the best place I’ve been just with everything I feel like I’ve been through the past couple years. I’m excited about that, but the only pressure I feel like I mostly have is you’re always gonna have pressure in the final four, but I know my time in the truck series is running out. I feel like I’ve accomplished a lot in it, but I’m missing one big thing and it’s sitting right next to me.”

HOW DO YOU STOP FROM NOT BEING THE JUSTIN ALLGAIER OR DENNY HAMLIN OF YOUR SERIES? “I don’t know. It’s a championship of its own getting here, so you can’t forget that. It’s just whoever is the best that one day is all that matters, so putting some attention on that is where I’m at, but I feel like the effort level is always the same of 110 percent. It’s just executing that day.”

IS IT TOUGH BEING THE ODD MAN OUT WITH THREE TOYOTAS AND YOU? “I don’t know. I mean, yeah, it’s never easy on me on restarts or anything like that, but at the end of the day it is what it is. You can worry about it as much as you want, but it’s not gonna change anything. You’ve just got to kind of roll with the punches and deal with what’s dealt to you. We’re gonna give it our all tomorrow night and see where we end up.”

WHAT DOES YOUR OFF-SEASON LOOK LIKE? “Really busy. A lot of traveling and hopefully deep sea fishing.”

MARRIAGE PLANS YET? “I think we found a venue last week in the Charleston area, and I think it’ll be around November 9th-ish of next year. That’s some exciting stuff to hopefully be chasing a second championship and a wedding to look forward to the week after.”

DO YOU GET HOME TO CALIFORNIA MUCH? “Not really. I wish I did more. I’m really close to it now, but I don’t really have a place to stay family-wise right now, so that’s some of it, but my time when I have gone back I really enjoy it, so hopefully sooner than later I get back out there.”

WHAT IS THE GAME PLAN FOR NEXT YEAR? “The truck stuff is obviously for sure, but we’re really close right now on finalizing these races, which ones we’re gonna be picking. It’s a little difficult going back and forth right now because we’re trying to figure out off weekends because it will be my truck team pretty much running this Cup car, so we’ve got to not be able to do it when I’m racing a truck, which I really would like to because I feel like I really enjoy where we’re busy and I’m just always doing something. Obviously, the 500 will be that way, but Xfinity-wise we’re not really sure yet. We’re trying to get those things under the FRM banner finished up and then see what’s available on the Xfinity side.”

HOW MANY CUP RACES WILL YOU RUN? “I think it’ll be around five or six.”

DID YOU ENJOY YOUR TIME AT GATEWAY? “I did. That was very cool. I knew that Sunday was different, but the atmosphere and everything was just so much different. I was a little worried with how the car drove in practice and qualifying, and then in the race it was honestly a lot of similarities to a truck. We don’t get to experience, typically the truck race is where we’re dusting off the track for everyone and the Cup race, I’d never been to Gateway where the top all the way to the bottom worked, so that was just a lot of fun being able to move around and race with those guys. You just learn so much in every area, whether it’s pit road, restarts or sometime during the race you just learn a lot from those guys. I’m excited for those Cup races next year.”

WHERE ARE YOU GOING DEEP SEA FISHING? “On Saturday, I’m going to Cabo, so I assume down there and then probably after the Florida Keys. That’s where I’ll be.”

IS THAT A HOBBY OF YOURS? “I love it, but we have some family friends that also enjoy that hobby. I’m excited for that.”

WHAT EXCITES YOU THE MOST ABOUT HOPPING BACK IN A CUP CAR NEXT YEAR? “Everyone wants to go Cup racing on Sunday. I enjoyed my time at Gateway. The cars are a handful, but they’re fun to drive and they’re fun to race, so I’m excited to pick five or six races, whatever it may be, and go do the best we can.”

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE WITH THE NEXT GEN CAR? “They definitely drive very differently by themselves, but I’ve also driven an Xfinity car in 2019 and I felt like the Xfinity car was nothing like the Cup car, but the truck raced very similar to the Cup car, and so I know people say the truck isn’t a great learning tool, but the past couple of years the Cup package and now what it is, it’s really like nothing, but I feel like the truck is the closest thing to it.”

DO YOU THINK ANYONE WILL TRY THE CHASTAIN MOVE? “I tried it on the sim just jokingly. Maybe if the start-finish line was off of turn two, but I don’t think it’ll work. A few friends and I were joking if it would work, and I think the distance from the top to bottom in three and four is just way too much, but I don’t know. I never thought it would work at Martinsville and it clearly did.”

IF YOU ARE THE LEADER ON THE LAST LAP WILL YOU BE NERVOUS SOMEONE MIGHT TRY IT OR THAT YOU MAY HAVE TO DEFEND IT? “To be honest, no. How I thought of it is I don’t think it’s gonna work ever in a truck or maybe an Xfinity car, but it’s not gonna work in a truck. I think now the spotters are aware of it and if it is happening, they’re just gonna tell them to get to the fence so they hit you across the line. I don’t know. If I was a spotter I’d be keeping my vision a little wider, but I think just at Martinsville they were all kind of in shock there when it happened.”

DOES ANYTHING FEEL DIFFERENT THIS TIME AROUND? “Yeah. I just feel like I’m in a way better spot mentally. I know what I’m doing next year, which just takes a huge weight off my shoulders. I don’t think it has me racing any differently. If anything, maybe smarter in a way, and hopefully that pays off for Friday night.”

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THIS RACE? “I’m excited about it. We’ve just shown speed everywhere we’ve went and so when you have a year like that, it brings a lot of confidence. But, yeah, I definitely believe in a lot of momentum, but we’ve been crazy consistent and I think that’s what will get you to the final four and I just feel like we have a good shot Friday night and the best shot I probably have had. We’ll see how our truck is in practice. Hopefully, we qualify good and be up front on Friday night.

DO YOU CONSIDER PHOENIX ONE OF YOUR BETTER TRACKS? “I do, yeah. I mean, I feel like the only place you really can correlate it to is Gateway maybe, and I was pretty happy with my truck at Gateway. I’ve always loved coming here and I think it’s a great championship racetrack. I’ll like it even more if I have a championship at it.”

WHAT DOES A CHAMPIONSHIP MEAN KNOWING YOU HAVE A FUTURE SET? “I don’t know. It’s everything to me, so I just want it really bad, especially with how I’ve lost the last couple of years. It just builds onto how bad I want it and I just really want to reward the people that have believed in me and have taken a chance, like Bob Jenkins, with how in love he is with the truck series to get him a championship. It would be pretty special.”

DO YOU HAVE A CUP GOAL FOR RACES NEXT YEAR? “We should know which races in the next couple of weeks, I would think, but it’s gonna be five or six races I think, which I think is good. Front Row isn’t a huge race shop. There’s a truck out of it right now. I don’t want it to be too much on the truck team or the race team in general, either, so I’m excited for what we’re doing and I’m just ready to get back, as crazy as it sounds saying this, but to get back racing on Sunday.”

Toyota NCWTS Phoenix Quotes – Ty Majeski 11.03.22

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Toyota Racing – Ty Majeski
NASCAR Truck Series Quotes

PHOENIX, Ariz. (November 3, 2022) – ThorSport Racing driver Ty Majeski was made available to media at Championship 4 Media Day on Thursday in Phoenix:

TY MAJESKI, No. 66 Road Ranger Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, ThorSport Racing

When you have a teammate in the Championship battle, do you race him any different?

“It’s certainly every man for himself. If it comes to it is between Ben (Rhodes) and I, I’m going to do what I need to do to win the championship, but I’m not going to put us in a position where neither of us would get it. I’m sure that he would lay the bumper to me. I would probably do the same – if it comes down to that. I just hope that neither of us put ourselves in position where neither of us win the championship for Duke and Rhonda (Thorson). At the end of the day, that was our goal coming into this season. I’m kind of wearing my ThorSport employee hat, not me as the racecar driver hat. We want to bring it home for them and are certainly not going to do anything that would put that in jeopardy.”

What do you think about you and Josh Berry both making the championship 4?

“I think you can look at it from a couple of different perspectives. We’ve had to pave out path a different way. I think Josh (Berry) is in his low thirties, I’m 28. That’s probably old to be developing in the lower series, but I think each of us in good opportunities – we could perform. We are kind of wearing that hat for short track, late model guys to pave their way to this level, almost solely by winning races. I think that is something that I certainly take pride in, and I know he does as well. Hopefully, we can each bring home a championship – that would be really, really cool for short track racers, in general.”

Does everything that you went through make you stronger now?

“Yes, certainly. I don’t think I would be in this position if I was handed an opportunity. I’m glad I’ve had to work for it, because I have learned so much in my career and I think a lot of that experience and what I have learned – having to do it the old fashion way – has yielded results for us this season. I love being a part of the conversation with Joe (Shear, Jr., crew chief) and our engineer on what we need to do to this race trucks to be better and be a part of a decisions on how we go to the race track. I take a lot of pride in that. I love being a race car driver, but I also love being a part of it on the mechanical and engineering side, and that is something I take a lot of pride in on the short track level on my late model and I’ve gotten to the point where I feel like I know enough about these trucks to help us be better week-to-week, and I think that is something that has been a ton of fun for myself this year.”

How much better can your feedback be because of your engineering background?

“It’s huge just knowing and understanding what you have from a setup and package perspective. Being able to know what to look for. I think sometimes it can skew my judgement because I have a preconceived notion, but I try not to skew my judgement in that. I think it’s been a balance handling those situations throughout the season. We’ve gotten better and I’ve gotten better at maybe not sending us down a wrong direction. The biggest learning curve for me this year was practice in the day and then transitioning into racing at night. Most of our truck races are night races, and I don’t have a lot of experience in what I need balance wise during the day and then transitioning that to night. I think over the course of the season, I’ve been able to build up points on how the track progress and I think will be huge going into this weekend.”

What would winning the championship this weekend mean to you?

“I think a lot of it would be relief. I’ve felt a lot of relief this season because of that. I don’t want to say that I was feeling pressure, but I feel like a lot of people thought that maybe I couldn’t truly succeed at this level and throughout the season I’ve been able to build up my confidence and have a good sense on what I need to do to be successful at this level and I think that has shown throughout the season. We’ve been able to cross our t’s and dot our I’s, put the little things together and come out and win two of the last three. It’s been just a relief, and I think if we are able to bring this championship home, that would be the icing on the cake from a great season so far.”

Is there one moment this season that sticks out to you as a defining moment?

“I don’t know if there was one moment – it was just a lot of little things that led up to this. I think we started off the season, maybe finishing well, but we weren’t putting all the stages together. I think throughout the season we’ve been consistent on all different types of race tracks, and then we were putting all three stages together inside the top-five, then it was leading laps and then we were winning races. I think we’ve led laps in the last six or seven races, which is a crazy stat. I never thought it would turn into that in the beginning of the season, but we’ve just been getting consistently better. Joe (Shear, Jr., crew chief) and I have been getting better as a team, and the race team has corralled around us, and their confidence is at an all-time high and we are just ready to go this weekend and take it to them.”

What is your comfortability at Phoenix?

“I don’t have a ton of experience here, but historically at tracks that I haven’t had a ton of experience on, we’ve run really well this season, so I don’t think that will play a negative factor. I feel really good about Phoenix and the type of track that it is. Joe (Shear, Jr., crew chief) is obviously a short track guy and his package runs really well on the short tracks. I feel like the race track fits his style and my style and I feel good about our package. We’ve put a lot of work in the simulator perfecting everything that we need to do to win on Friday and I’m excited for the opportunity to do so.”

This feels like the first time you’ve had a solid home in one of NASCAR’s national series. What has it been like to be with this ThorSport Racing family?

“Those guys are racers up there. One thing I noticed in Charlotte is a lot of people take it as a 7-4pm job. There was a traffic jam coming out with some of the teams I was with at 4. Up at ThorSport, they are racers. We work until whenever we need to. I look at it as it is a bunch of guys having fun building race trucks together. That is certainly the mindset that we have. It’s that short track mentality, so given my background, I fit in well right when I got with them. Duke and Rhonda (Thorson) built such a great culture up there. They are great people, great people to work for. I consider them friends at this point. We spend a lot of time together. It has been great to build that relationship, not only with them, but everybody internally at ThorSport. I truly love being at the shop there every day. I enjoy it. It’s fun. I feel like having that mentality and being around people like that is recipe for success.”

ThorSport has built a championship pedigree with people like Matt Crafton, and now Ben Rhodes. What do you think is the biggest obstacle for you to overcome in Phoenix?

“I think it is going to take execution at all levels. I think the champion on Friday will have put a race together with zero mistakes. Phoenix is not a track you can’t afford to get back, as far as track position goes, it’s extremely aero sensitive. If you have a bad pit stop or a bad restart, it’s hard to recover from it. The champion on Friday is probably going to go through the race without a mistake and I think that needs to be us if we are going to be champions on Friday night.”

What was your full-time role at ThorSport?

“I don’t have my engineering degree, but I went up there in 2021 knowing that I was only going to run a handful of races. I took a backseat from a driving stand point. I went there to be an engineer, so my day-to-day job is Roamer arm. Each part, chassis, everything that has to do with the suspension of the truck gets scanned and gets a part number. We are able to take each component and choose it and basically build a model of the truck with each scanned number for each part, so it makes sim for us extremely accurate. It’s been great to actually touch each component. It’s forced me to learn a lot at a fast rate, and it has been able to bridge that gap between driving and the engineering standpoint. NASCAR, with the lack thereof of practice, teams have been putting a lot of effort on sim. It’s been a big reason why some of the teams are successful and the reason why certain teams are not. We made the decision at the beginning of the season to rely on sim and build up data points throughout the season, and it has become incredibly useful for us. We’ve been living and dying by the sim, and I feel like the results on how we unload week-to-week has shown. We unload with great speed and the balance has showed up close. It is just a testament to sim.”

Are you still doing that yourself?

“Yep.”

How did you get this opportunity to be full-time?

“Just timing. A lot of being successful in this sport is timing. You have to be with the right people at the right time, with the right equipment around you. Duke and Rhonda (Thorson) have provided that for me. In taking a backseat to racing last year, Duke and I had the vision that we wanted it to turn into this. There are no guarantees, but it was a risk I was willing to take, just knowing where ThorSport was at and what the age of some of their drivers were. I felt like within a decent amount of time there was going to be an opportunity there. I didn’t know it was going to be for 2022, but it happened quicker than I thought, but I’m certainly glad I took that risk in taking a backseat and hoping it would turn into this.”

What will your nerves be like tomorrow?

“Zero. I’ve achieved everything that I felt like I needed to this year to prove what I needed to. I feel like the championship would be icing on the cake for a great season. Our confidence level is high coming off winning two of the last three. We feel really good about where we are at. I don’t know if the other guys are nervous or not, but we don’t take it as another race, because it is not. I think anyone that says it’s another race, we are just going to do what we do, is lying. We’ve put a lot of preparation into this race, moreso than any other race throughout the season, which is natural. It’s the biggest race of the season for everybody, but from a mindset, I’m feeling no pressure. Just happy to be here, taking it all in. Taking in the moment and enjoying it and having fun. Just having a loose mentality. We are ready to go and let it all hang out Friday night.”

Do you believe in momentum?

“I certainly believe in momentum. My mentality coming in here is just calm and loose and confident. Coming in here with what I feel like is zero pressure, is a big difference for me compared to what it could be in a different situation. I do believe in it for sure.”

What do you think of the statement you have made by winning two of the last three races?

“I hope it intimidates them. We feel really good about where we are at as a race team. I feel internally within the 66 team that we are the favorites. We have the most momentum in the series for sure coming off of a really dominating win at Homestead. The thing about us is we have been on a constant uphill climb all season, and we are certainly peaking at the right time. I don’t think there is much denying that. I think we are the favorites and we have that mentality coming in and we are going to try to go and carry that into Friday night.”

Why do you think you are the favorite?

“I think we are peaking at the right time. It’s been a constant uphill climb, and I think this has been coming for quite some time. I feel like we have had the potential to go on a streak, and we have done the little things. We’ve led laps in the last six or seven races and that has been a huge confidence boost for us and we have been able to put the small things together – coming on and off pit road. The pit crew has really started to perform. I feel like I’m as confident as ever. I have a high level of communication between Joe (Shear, Jr., crew chief) and I. We’ve been able to unload really, really fast at all of these different type of race tracks that we haven’t been together. Taking all of those factors together, we are the favorites.”

About Toyota

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Toyota Racing NXS Phoenix Quotes — Ty Gibbs 11.3.22

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Official Release
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Toyota Racing – Ty Gibbs
NASCAR Xfinity Series Quotes

PHOENIX, Ariz. (November 3, 2022) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Ty Gibbs was made available to media at Championship 4 Media Day on Thursday in Phoenix:

TY GIBBS, No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

What has this past week been like for you?

“It’s definitely been really long and busy, but you know, my actions put myself in this position so I just have to learn from it and move on and, you know, I mean it’s just it’s just hard.”

What’s the lesson that you have to learn from this situation?

“I think the biggest thing is, you know, I guess JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing), we’re all one big family and for me to kind of break that apart for my selfish actions, it really hurts me because I grew up there and it’s not cool. And these guys work so hard, you know, the whole year and it’s just, it’s just hard. It’s a lot.”

Have you spoken with Brandon Jones yet? How did that go?

“Yeah, for sure. I feel like you know, I got to speak to him. And I feel like, you know, our conversations are private. I don’t want to get into anybody else’s privacy, but, you know, our conversations are private. I definitely got to talk to him and I can completely understand where he’s coming from. And, you know, I accept it and I’m the one did that and put us in that position.”

How difficult has it been going through this situation and having this difficult conversations?

“I think it’s something that you know, I wanted to do because I made that mistake and I have to say the right things because you know, I need to do that and it’s definitely hard, it’s for sure hard to do that. I have to face the fact that I made a mistake and you know, I have to do the hardest and work as hard as I can to fix these issues.

How hard is it now to shift gears to compete for a championship?

“It’s a lot. It’s definitely a lot but, you know, I like I said before I put myself in this position and, you know, I’m the one that did this to myself, we didn’t have to be here and I was going to be here, but I didn’t have to make this such a hard week and it really hurts me because, you know, it’s my family’s team and we’re all one big family, like I said, and to hurt their feelings really affects me.”

Was it more if a situation of you being focused on the win rather than looking at the bigger picture?

“It’s definitely really hard. You know, going back I, if I could redo it multiple times, I would have thought I guess this this scenario over millions of times, you know, and it’s hard for me because I have to live with it now. And it’s really hard, you know, but we could have had two JGR cars I guess, in championship four and I took that out. I took 50% of Toyota’s championship and JGR’s championship away for my selfish action so I have to move forward and do the best I can to work and to fix these things.”

Did you know the situation that Brandon Jones was in at the time? The fact that he needed to win the race to advance to the Championship Four?

“Yeah, I did. I definitely understood what was going on. I didn’t know exactly what points you know, were in play, but I knew he had to win and it’s hard going back and looking at it just because I did something wrong and dwelling on it really hurts and affects you know, me and my team and it’s just a hard situation.”

When did all of this start to sink in regarding the severity of the situation?

“I guess you know, right after the race is probably the best way to say it. Right after my adrenaline calmed down and for me to watch the broadcast back and kind of see you know, the highlights and stuff. That’s where it starts to sink in and then you know, seeing people not happy with me and it does affect me because you know, I’m the one that did that and I didn’t have to and that was you know, selfish for me and it just, it’s a lot, it’s a lot.”

Fans may look at you as a rich kid who doesn’t care about anyone else after this situation. Is that true and how do you prove to them it’s not?

“No, I truly do care about everybody else and my actions, put myself in position. And if I didn’t do that, we wouldn’t have to be talking about this stuff. But I had to fix my actions and work as hard as I can forward. I work all the time on racing and I spent so much working on racing and I work a lot on really hard to you know, and it’s these things that I have to work at and get better at.”

Do you regret the Jesus comment that you made on SiriusXM post-race?

“I totally do. And I think that I wasn’t trying to say it like that, it came out the wrong way of course and moving forward I just have to do the best I can to be more aware of my situation and then what’s going on”

How do you clear your head now and focus on racing for your first major championship?

“I mean, like I said, I put myself in this position so I have to deal with it. And you know, I own up to all of it and like you said, going back to how do I change my mindset from this to racing? There’s a lot and I have a good amount of time out here to spend to make sure I’m looking at all the data I need to look at and all the film and watch all the things I need to look at to get better for this weekend. I think this is my seventh race here so I really enjoy Phoenix too. It’s one of those tracks that I really enjoy racing at. So I’m excited for it too. So you just have to transition your mindset to that.”

How do you transition and actually do that after all the fallout from this week?

“I guess the biggest thing is just mindset and changing the way you think and the racing terms, you know, go in and focus on racing. I guess for me, I love racing so much that I can kind of transition that pretty easy to my racing side just because I love it. And I feel like that’s a good trait I have but you know, sometimes I make my mistakes and I have to own up to it and work as hard as I can to fix that and working as hard as I do with that and I did do racing and watching film and studying data.”

Are there any concerns within your team that Brandon Jones may do something Saturday to impede you winning the championship?

“It’s not been addressed but you know if that’s the course of action he wants to take and you know, I can’t control that I can only do the best I can and do the best I can in the present now and work as hard as I can to change you know things and situations and be more aware in the future.”

If you knew Brandon Jones had to win to get into the Championship Four then why did you do it?

“Like I said, it comes down just caught in the moment and you know, selfish actions led to that. For me, this week I feel like I’ve learned a whole new perspective as a team. And you know, being I guess, somewhat looking at as the ownership side, it was completely ridiculous and unacceptable I did it. We could have had two JGR cars in the championship and now we only have one because of my actions and we have 500 or 600 employees at our race shop, I don’t know the exact number, but you know it effects every one of them and you know, it hurts me too because you know I grew up there spending so much time in those race shops. I feel like I know most of the people there personally and to see them affected by it really hurts to me.”

Does it make it harder this week knowing it’s you against three JRM drivers?

“It definitely is from an ownership side it definitely is. You know, makes it hard to look at from a team perspective, not ownership side, sorry. It definitely is because it takes our 50% chance to win to 25%. The best thing I can do now is to go out there and win it and you know do the best I can for the future and you know not to make these decisions and put myself in the position.”

Joe Gibbs said there would be consequences for you, do you know yet what those will be?

“I do not and you know, I wasn’t a part of those conversations but I accept the actions and you know, accept what I did and what there is to come.”

Do they ground you?

“I don’t know. I like I said I don’t know, but I put myself in that position and we wouldn’t be talking about this right now if it wasn’t for me.”

Do you think this will impact your chances of getting a Cup ride next season?

“I don’t know. I don’t know what the future holds. And I don’t really know, but what I did was unacceptable. I think I lost respect from a bunch of people. And you know, the only thing I do now is turn it back and to learn from it.”

Has this experience been more difficult or less difficult with both your father and grandfather so involved with the race team?

“It definitely makes it difficult I feel like. And it definitely makes it difficult because you know, it’s like I said, I grew up with all these guys and it’s my family’s team and for me to hurt the family aspect of the whole team, we’re one big family and for me to hurt that, it hurts me and it’s hard because you know, I feel like I have a lot of respect from those people and now I probably don’t have as much and I have to earn it back.

Assuming you’re moving to the Cup Series next season, have there been any concerns from what could be your future teammates about how you will race them based on how you raced your Xfinity teammates?

“I made sure to apologize to them in our drivers meeting. I’m with the 23 currently and making sure for all my teammates — higher and lower — from ARCA to Cup, I think the biggest thing is just to make sure I earn my teammate respect back and in turn, earn the respect back of the NASCAR community.”

How do you earn that respect back?

“By being in any situations again and not doing the stuff I’ve done and to learn from it and to be more socially aware of my situations and surroundings.”

Has there been any older or veteran drivers that have talked to you about what you’re dealing with currently?

“I definitely have had great talks and not just drivers, but people I feel like from our team and outside of racing. I’ve had great talks with everybody, you know, learning talks, which I’ve taken a lot of things away. I’ve listened to what everybody’s had to say and understand what they all have to say — good and bad — I take it and learn from it.”

Will this impact how you race on Saturday because some people might say that move could be more acceptable when you’re racing for the championship?

“Yeah, I think the biggest thing is if I lead every lap and say up front, I don’t have to race dirty. So that’s the biggest thing and if it comes down to is you have to be more aware. Like I said, what I did last week was unacceptable and you know, I just have to earn the respect back and you know, if it’s by racing clean and winning the championship or by leaving more room on the race track.”

Are you now being more sensitive to not making as aggressive of a move as you might need to because of this situation?

“The best thing to do is to race with respect like I said, leave a little room and I guess if it comes down, you know, just make sure I out-race them and outsmart them and maybe, I take the different line in the PJ1 and I pass them and I don’t have to do that. It’s definitely a great question to ask, but, you know, I just don’t want to be known as a dirty racer. I want to be known as a class racer and you know, somebody it’s going to race hard but not going to be dirty. And you know, I’ve been dirty and made my mistakes. But the only thing I can do now is work forward to changing that perspective.”

Do you think you’ve been a dirty racer or more of an aggressive racer?

“Aggressive and I guess, you know, and I mean, definitely some mistakes and from wrecking Ryan Sieg and doing stuff like that, I think definitely those things are dirty and unacceptable and not right. So the best thing I can do now, like I said, is just work my way forward to fix it.”

Did you have a one-on-one conversation with Brandon Jones or was it a team meeting?

“Like I said, all our conversations are private and I had great talks with him.”

Did you talk with any of your Cup counterparts or get any advice from them?

“Like I said, I’ve got great advice. I don’t want to, you know, be telling everybody what conversations I’ve had with them and stuff like that. I just want to make sure that’s private and I respect what they say so, like I said, I’ve heard a lot and I’ve got to learn a lot good and bad. And you know, it’s part of what I’m I’m doing and the situation I put myself in.”

How do you change the mindset of the race fans that say you’ve made similar comments before, but your actions don’t reflect the changes you talk about?

“Like I said, just working as hard as I can now to fix these situations and to not put myself in the spots for my actions is the biggest thing and that’s what’s going to earn respect. You know, like I said, actions are going to earn that back, not just words.”

How challenging has it been to be at odds with Kyle Busch during the summer considering how much you’ve admired him over the years and throughout your early career?

“Yeah, it definitely is really hard. I respect Kyle (Busch) a lot. And I feel like I’ve talked to him so much in the past and I feel like I have a great relationship with him. So, it’s definitely hard and, you know, but that’s outside of what I can control and all I control is being a good person and making the right decisions and fixing my actions.”

Are you and Kyle Busch okay in your relationship?

“I feel like yeah, I feel like we are we’ve, you know, talked and have great conversations and Kyle (Busch) is somebody, no matter what happened, somebody I’ll always respect and always look up to for as much as I respect and as much as I looked up to when I was younger. He’s somebody that I’ll always look at as you know, somebody that was a role model to me, it means a lot to me, no matter what happens.”

Do you have to put the blinders on when Kyle Busch says things in the media about you?

“I mean, I can’t control like I said, what people can do and what he’s going to say, and maybe it does hurt me a little bit but he’s somebody I’ll always respect.”

How do you continue to end up in these situations on the race track?

“It’s just being overly aggressive in some of these situations, and I have the will to win but sometimes that is not the right thing to do. So I just have to change my actions and you know, earn respect going forward. And you know, I don’t want to be known as a dirty race car driver. I don’t want to be the one getting the boos, I want to be the one getting a cheers and be the one winning, but at the same time race clean.”

Do you need a different spotter or someone else in your ear during these races?

“That comes down to me, it comes down to me. I’ve got great people around me, I’ve got great people on top of on top of the spotter stand and great people on top but pit box comes down to me though at the end of the day.”

Are you trying too hard or overcompensating for your last name to try to prove your talent?

“No, not really. I feel like in racing, it’s hard to really, you know, when you try really hard, you’re driving out of emotions and I feel bad emotions and they can cause big mistakes like I did Saturday. I feel like it’s really hard to be fast like that. So you’re going to make mistakes if like off of instinct and a muscle memory is where you’re, you’re really fast at naturally and I feel like you know, working really hard. I definitely think wins take care of it. But at the same time, I want to look at it as, I’m just the driver too. I want to earn respect as much as I can. It’s going to be hard for a spot I’m in and the actions I made hurt me even more. So the best thing to do forward is be clean and win, wins take care of I feel like you know, respect. People respect that. But at the same time racing clean people respect that too. Comes down to doing the right thing.”

Is there someone who can coach you through these scenarios?

“For sure there’s a lot of people a lot of great people around me, but then at the end of the day, I’m the one that’s going to make those decisions and I’m the one that is looking to control my emotions and, and drive clean and smart and respectful. You know, sometimes I guess, NASCAR racing is not all clean. There’s some bumping and banging but that’s the NASCAR racing and I just want to be able to race respectfully and win and when it comes down to me and me making the decisions and learning from these mistakes I’ve made.”

Josh Berry commented on how much he respects you and that if you had to do Saturday all over again, you likely would handle it differently. How does that make you feel?

“I respect Josh (Berry) so much and you know, I really enjoy him. I feel like he’s a great friend to me and a great driver I respect him on the race track. So that means a lot and for sure, going back, I would totally change, I would totally change the whole situation, but I can’t but best thing for me to do now is learn from it and move forward and not put myself in that position anymore.”

Why did you celebrate the win to the extent that you did last Saturday?

“I think, you know, like I said, if I could redo the whole thing I would and being a part of that and winning it definitely, it’s hard, you’re caught up in the moment, but looking at it from an outsider’s perspective and you’re looking at it from you know, somebody in the stands, it’s completely ridiculous and unacceptable. Then from the team and sponsors and even Brandon (Jones), it’s completely unacceptable. You know, just caught up in the moment and not one and you know, going back and learning this stuff in the future. You know, hopefully I’ll learn from this and I’ll work as hard as I can to not put myself in these positions.”

What will you do with the clock you won on Saturday?

“I haven’t thought about that. I’ve been going through so much this this whole week, you know, so it’s just come down to a decision on that. And it’s hard just thinking of all the feelings I’ve hurt at the race shop and it really hurts me.”

Do you feel the boos when you walk out on stage for the Cup race on Sunday in Martinsville?

“I mean, we can sit here all day and say it doesn’t affect us, but I feel like it truly does affect us. And you know, I don’t want to be known for the boos. And my actions are the ones that have hurt that. Maybe there’s some people that will never change your opinion. And you know, some people that will always be for me, but you know, I want to earn some people’s respect back, I want there to be some cheers, not all boos. And you know, that’s my plan and to win races.”

People love Kurt Busch now, they didn’t always love him.

“Kurt (Busch), Kurt’s been a big help too. And I feel like honestly out of everybody I’ve talked to, he’s been the biggest one. Kurt means a lot to me personally. And he’s, he’s great. And you know, he’s taught me a lot of great lessons. And for sure, I feel like we’ve all seen that and he’s awesome and a very respectful driver.”

What is the biggest lesson Kurt Busch has taught you?

“Just making sure you’re learn from these situations. Like I don’t want to share everything I said and make sure our conversations are private, but you know, learn from your actions. You have to do that, to not put myself in position that I don’t want to put myself in position again, like I learned from my actions.”

Did Kurt Busch tell you to do it quicker than he did in his career and not take 20 years?

“Yeah, luckily, I’m being able to feel all this right now at 20. You know, that’s a great thing and great age to start at. Wish these things would have never happened, but I could learn from them and I’ll move forward and hopefully I can learn from all of this.”

What do you think the biggest difference is between you and Noah Gragson who also races people aggressively to win races?

“Yeah, it’s just the opinion of the fans. I feel like you know, some of the stuff I’ve done is definitely not the right things. And I mean, we’ve made mistakes. We’re all human. And we’re both competitors. And you know, I don’t really know I, I feel like that’s somebody you know, from the outsider’s perspective. I just kind of try to work on myself and make myself the best I can. And I know that he’s doing the same thing and they’re part of a great team. So best thing I can do forward is just make sure I fix my actions.”

Do you think the championship is between yourself and Noah Gragson?

“You have a great short track guy, Josh Berry, one of the baddest short track dudes in America, you know, we’re at kind of short track style track so I feel like it’s going to be a great race and Justin Allgaier has great experience, you know, he’s very fast and he won here in the spring so I feel like it’s a you know, a lot a lot of great talent coming into this race.”

Have you talked with Kurt Busch about what happened in Martinsville?

“I definitely did and he’s (Kurt Busch) probably the first person I called and he made sure that I’m going to learn from it, like I said, and make sure going forward to learn from my actions and not put myself in these positions.”

Are you expecting retribution on Saturday?

“No. I mean, like I said, you can’t drive off the rearview mirror. You have to use muscle memory and no, I don’t think I’ll be going too fast if I’m looking in the mirror. All I can do is look forward. You know? And if stuff happens, it happens and it’s out of my control.”

Did you talk to the crew members on the 19 team?

“Yeah, for sure. Like, it was really hard, but I got to talk to the whole entire shop and make sure we get them all together. Like JGR preaches, we’re one big family and for me to hurt feelings in a family it really affects me and I know each one of those guys personally, I feel like, and it hurts me. So I got to talk to them. I can talk to the 18 group and I got to talk to the shop foreman and crew chiefs and know everybody from each different department and apologize.”

Do you feel like you’re mature enough to move to the Cup Series next season?

“I’m not the one to say that. You know, I feel like that’s somebody else and that’s out of my control. But I’ll work as hard as I can to fix you know, these situations and to learn from them.”

Did you ever consider not running the Cup car this weekend in Phoenix?

“No, I think that the best thing I can do is take it out and take as much experience as I can away and go and do the best I can for the 23 team.”

Would you prefer to be in the race car this weekend?

“Yeah, I guess race cars, you know, is I really enjoyed being in the race car. Like I said, I have a love for racing, and I definitely enjoy it and when you know, hopefully we’ll have a good run Sunday in the 23.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 48,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 43 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With the more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, more than a quarter of the company’s 2021 North American sales were electrified.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

INDY NXT by Firestone Ready To Launch Racing’s New Generation of Stars

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Official Release
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2023 14-Race Schedule Unveiled, Streaming to Fans on Peacock

INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022) – The pathway to North America’s premier open-wheel racing series has a fresh, more youthful and energetic final level: INDY NXT by Firestone. INDY NXT will feature a new generation of global racing talent, competing vigorously for podiums and the opportunity to join the elite ranks of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.

The presenting sponsor and Official Tire of INDY NXT will be Firestone, also the Official Tire Supplier and longtime partner of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. INDY NXT by Firestone will emphasize talent development, while extending racing’s reach and impact to a younger and emerging consumer audience.

The rebranded racing series, formerly known as Indy Lights, will stage 14 races in 2023, starting March 5 on the Streets of St. Petersburg and competing on a diverse set of ovals, road courses and street circuits.

“We look forward to being part of the journey as INDY NXT enters a new era and expands our partnership with INDYCAR,” said Lisa Boggs, director of motorsports, Bridgestone Americas. “Having been in the series previously, we know how important it is for the development of the next generation of drivers, and we are proud to support them again. INDY NXT provides opportunities for Firestone to engage with new audiences and develop and showcase our technology.”

Said INDYCAR President Jay Frye: “INDY NXT by Firestone will continue to develop and graduate new generations of racers ready to engage in breathtaking, high-stakes competition. Firestone is the perfect partner in this endeavor, with its innovative technology and authentic appreciation for INDY NXT and its vast potential.”

Starting with the 2022 season, INDYCAR took over the management and operations of the developmental series. The launch of the new era included a vastly enhanced collaborative partnership with the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, featuring integration in paddock spaces, marketing, digital assets and race officiating.

The 2023 season will provide an additional opportunity for a reset and a new mission to emerge, guided by an ethos that aims to inspire and relate to Generation Z and the young talent piloting race cars.

After an expansion of teams and car count in 2022, the 2023 season is expected to build on that momentum, with the highest entry list for the developmental series since 2009.

The 2023 INDY NXT by Firestone championship still will compete on the same tracks and on the same weekends as the NTT INDYCAR SERIES events, providing further exposure to the series. As in 2022, the schedule consists of three doubleheader weekends: the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, Streets of Detroit and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, where the 2023 INDY NXT champion will be crowned.

Additionally, coverage of all 14 races once again will be available in the United States via Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming service, and the INDYCAR Radio Network.

Start times for the 2023 INDY NXT by Firestone season will be announced at a later date.

For more information about INDY NXT by Firestone, visit www.indynxt.com.

DateVenueBroadcast
Sunday, March 5Streets of St. PetersburgPeacock
Sunday, April 30Barber Motorsports ParkPeacock
Friday, May 12Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course Race 1Peacock
Saturday, May 13Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course Race 2Peacock
Saturday, June 3Streets of Detroit Race 1Peacock
Sunday, June 4Streets of Detroit Race 2Peacock
Sunday, June 18Road AmericaPeacock
Sunday, July 2Mid-Ohio Sports Car CoursePeacock
Saturday, July 22Iowa SpeedwayPeacock
Sunday, Aug. 6Streets of NashvillePeacock
Sunday, Aug. 27World Wide Technology RacewayPeacock
Sunday, Sept. 3Portland International RacewayPeacock
Saturday, Sept. 9WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Race 1Peacock
Sunday, Sept. 10WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Race 2Peacock

Menards® Partners with JR Motorsports in 2023

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Official Release
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Brandon Jones to Drive No. 9 Menards Chevrolet in 33-Race NXS Schedule

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Nov. 3, 2022) – Menards will partner with JR Motorsports and Brandon Jones in 2023, the race team announced today. A Wisconsin-based company, Menards will be a primary partner on board Jones’ No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro in 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races next season.

Menards, headquartered in Eau Claire, Wis., is a family-owned company started in 1958 that operates 335 home improvement stores in 15 states in the Midwest. The company’s partnership with Jones dates to his first NXS start in 2015. Its relationship with team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. goes back even further.

Earnhardt Jr. won three NXS races in a co-branded Menards Chevrolet as part of the Chance2 Motorsports and Dale Earnhardt, Inc. programs in 2004 and 2006. Those victories came at Bristol Motor Speedway (2004), Daytona International Speedway (2006) and Michigan Speedway (2006).

“I’m happy for the chance to work with John (Menard) and Menards again,” said Earnhardt Jr. “Menards sponsored one of the most dominant cars I ever drove in the Xfinity Series. I have some great memories of winning races together. John and his company are big supporters of racing and have been for many years. I’m glad to have them at JRM backing Brandon.”

In September the team announced the addition of Jones to its stable of drivers in 2023, which includes Justin Allgaier, Josh Berry and Sam Mayer. Jones, a five-time NXS winner, will take the reins of JRM’s championship-contending No. 9 Chevrolet beginning with the season opener at Daytona International Speedway.

“To be able to make this transition to JRM alongside Menards is a dream come true for me,” Jones said. “I am eager to win races and championships with Menards’ continued support. It will be significant to have my longtime sponsor and John Menard reunite with Dale and JRM. JRM’s commitment to their partners is second to none, and I can’t wait to come out of the gate strong with them in 2023.”

Menards has been a constant in NASCAR since the company first came onto the scene in 2003 as a sponsor in the Cup Series. Since then, the Menards brand has competed at the Cup, Xfinity and Truck Series levels, and is also the title sponsor of the ARCA Menards Series.

“We have enjoyed our relationship with Brandon Jones through the years and look forward to continued success with Brandon and the JR Motorsports team,” commented Menards President John Menard. “This partnership brings back many special memories between the Menard family and the Earnhardt family and an opportunity to create even more. Should be an interesting and exciting year for all of us!”

ABOUT MENARDS®
A family-owned and run company started in 1958, Menards® is recognized as the retail home center leader of the Midwest with 335 stores in 15 states. Menards® is truly a one-stop shop for all of your home improvement needs featuring a full-service lumberyard and everything you need to plan a renovation or build a home, garage, cabin, shed, deck, fence or post frame building. You’ll find a large selection of lumber, roofing, siding, construction blocks, trusses, doors and windows, plus cabinets, appliances, countertops, flooring, lighting, paint, plumbing supplies and more. To complete the job, Menards® has quality hand tools, power tools, fasteners, electrical tools plus storage options and supplies for everyone from the weekend warrior to the more experienced contractor.

Menards® has what you need to complete your outdoor projects and keep your yard in tip-top shape including mowers, trimmers, blowers, pressure washers and more, plus a beautiful garden center stocked with plants, shrubs, trees, landscaping tools, grass seed, fertilizer options, outdoor décor and patio furniture. Menards® also has everyday essentials like health & beauty products, housewares, pet and wildlife supplies, automotive items and even groceries. And at Christmas, an Enchanted Forest display area with impressive trees, lighting, decorations, ornaments, inflatables and more.

Menards® is known for friendly Customer Service and as the place to “Save Big Money” with low prices every day, and sales too! For more information, please visit Menards.com to learn about our store locations, offerings and services.”

ABOUT JR MOTORSPORTS:
JR Motorsports is the racing operation co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Fame member and 15-time Most Popular Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kelley Earnhardt Miller and NASCAR Hall of Famer Rick Hendrick. Now in its 21st year of overall competition, JR Motorsports competes in multiple divisions, including the NASCAR Xfinity Series where it currently fields four full-time teams and earned championships in 2014, 2017 and 2018. The company also races in Late Model competition and owns four championships in regional Late Model divisions and added a prized national title in 2020. To learn more about the organization, its drivers and its sponsorship opportunities, visit www.jrmracing.com.

Monster Energy Racing: Riley Herbst Phoenix NXS Advance

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Official Release
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RILEY HERBST
Phoenix NASCAR Xfinity Series Advance
No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

NASCAR Xfinity Series Overview

• Event: NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship (Round 33 of 33)

• Date: Saturday, Nov. 5

• Location: Phoenix Raceway

• Layout: 1-mile oval

• Time/TV/Radio: 6 p.m. EDT on USA/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Riley Herbst Notes of Interest

• Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), heads into Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship race at Phoenix Raceway fresh off a third-place finish in the penultimate race last Saturday at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. The effort equaled Herbst’s best finish this season, a result he had scored twice before – May 7 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway and June 25 at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway. Herbst’s third top-three of 2022 also exceeded his previous high of two top-threes in a single season, which came during his rookie campaign in 2020. The 23-year-old Las Vegas-native has also posted eight top-fives and 19 top-10s in 2022, surpassing his previous bests of five top-fives earned in 2021 and 17 top-10s earned in 2020. His third-place finish at Martinsville was his second consecutive top-10 after a strong eighth-place run Oct. 22 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

• Saturday’s race will mark Herbst’s seventh career Xfinity Series start at Phoenix. The 1-mile, desert oval has proven to be one of Herbst’s better tracks. After an early race accident in his series debut at the track in November 2019 relegated him to a 30th-place result, Herbst finished 11th or better in his next four starts there, highlighted by fourth-place finishes in last year’s March and November events, respectively, in the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang. Herbst also finished 10th at Phoenix in his lone NASCAR K&N Pro Series West start at the track in November 2019, and 15th in his only NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start there in November 2018.

• Herbst should feel right at home at the desert mile in Arizona. Being a third-generation racer from Las Vegas, he’s taking his family name from the Desert Southwest to the asphalt tracks of NASCAR. Herbst began racing go-karts up and down the West Coast at age 5. He soon followed in his family’s footsteps in 2006 when he transitioned to off-road racing, where his grandfather Jerry, his dad Troy, and his uncles Tim and Ed, all became Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame inductees after their numerous championship-winning campaigns. But by age 10, Herbst sought a return to pavement, which began with Legends cars before transitioning to Speed Trucks, Super Late Models, the K&N Series, Camping World Trucks, and now, the Xfinity Series.

Riley Herbst, Driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang

Phoenix has been one of your strongest tracks. On top of several top-five finishes there, you’re also coming off a strong third-place finish last week at Martinsville. Talk about Phoenix and the momentum you have heading into this weekend.

“I’m going to Phoenix to win. We’ve got nothing to lose and everything to win. While we’re not racing for a championship, we can certainly go out and steal the show from the guys who are racing for one. Our goal is always the same and it would be the best way to end this season. With everything we’ve achieved, a win would just add to it all. I like Phoenix and I’ve performed well there in the past. Hopefully, we can leave the bad luck of this year’s spring race behind us and park the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang in victory lane.”

Two weeks ago, you solidified 2022 as a career year in the NASCAR Xfinity Series by surpassing both your career-best top-five and top-10 marks for a season. What’s changed this season to help you achieve those career highs?

“It’s been a year of growth in 2022, for sure, both for myself as a driver and for the No. 98 team. I think we just got to a point where the team knew what I needed and I was taking every opportunity to learn as a driver. My crew chief Richard Boswell and my spotter Tim Fedewa have been two key people in helping me grow. I’m proud of how far we’ve come as a team since last season. I can’t thank each guy on this team enough for all of their hard work.”

You had a strong run at Martinsville last weekend, bringing home a third-place finish after several overtime attempts. What are your thoughts on that performance?

“Martinsville was crazy. The No. 98 Monster Energy team brought me a great car, probably the best one I’ve had at that track. We knew that we could contend and I think we showed that at the end. Proud of what this team accomplished. I hate that we’re not coming into Phoenix racing for the championship with all of this momentum. There’s still a chance to steal a win, though, and that’s exactly what we’ll aim to do on Saturday.”

No. 98 Monster Energy Team Roster

Primary Team Members:

Driver: Riley Herbst
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada

Crew Chief: Richard Boswell
Hometown: Friendship, Maryland

Car Chief: Matt Noyce
Hometown: Oregon, Wisconsin

Engineer: DJ VanderLey
Hometown: Mobile, Alabama

Engineer: Justin Bolton
Hometown: Latrobe, Pensylvania

Spotter: Tim Fedewa
Hometown: Holt, Michigan

Over-The-Wall Crew:

Front Tire Changer: Josh Leslie
Hometown: Mount Clemens, Michigan

Rear Tire Changer: Trevor White
Hometown: Arlington, Texas

Tire Carrier: Chad Emmons
Hometown: Tyler, Texas

Fueler: Corey Coppola
Hometown: Bluefield, West Virginia

Jackman: Stan Doolittle
Hometown: Ninety Six, South Carolina

Road Crew Members:

Truck Driver: Steve Wood
Hometown: Eatontown, New Jersey

Engine Tuner: Willie Pelotte
Hometown: Oakland, Maine

Tire Specialist: Austin Quick
Hometown: Flagstaff, Arizona

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